A Word Of Advice
by controlled climb
Summary: Emma relaxed as the teacher walked in, and soon got lost in her work. Well, she would have been lost if it hadn't been for the irritating tapping next to her.


**Notes**: Okay, so I'm not happy with how this turned out, but it's been sitting on my iPod for awhile now, so I decided to post it. Don't hate me too much for posting crap?

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Emma Tolly sighed to herself, trudging into art class unwillingly. It was one of the very few times when she just didn't want to draw. It wasn't that she wasn't in the mood; it was simply the fact that she didn't feel like drawing more birds, as she usually did, and the thought of bailing out was becoming increasingly appealing as she neared her seat. The teacher hadn't come yet; there was still time. Emma smiled inwardly, pushing the chair she had just pulled out back  
in, and slinging her satchel back over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" an all too familiar voice spoke from behind her. She turned around, only slightly annoyed, to face Tancred.

"Nowhere," she replied, unpacking for the second time in the last few minutes. She kept her eyes cast down, ignoring the odd looks being thrown her way.

Emma relaxed as the teacher walked in, and soon got lost in her work. Well, she would have been lost if it hadn't been for the irritating tapping next to her.

_Tap. Tap_.

She bit down hard on her lip; Emma wasn't one to lose her temper, and she planned on keeping that as her reputation.

_Tap. Tap_.

Realizing that the sound was coming from beside her, Emma settled with flashing an angry glare at Tancred, who stopped instantly; the tip of his pencil pausing in midair. He shrugged apologetically, but the gesture was ruined as several pieces of paper flew past, ruffled by sudden gust of wind.

"What?" he asked heatedly as Emma turned to stare at him.

"Are you okay? I didn't mind it, really," she said, referring to the tapping. Even though it had annoyed her, she hated seeing him upset. She was looking past him now, eyeing the rain that was pelting down the windows.

"What are you drawing, anyway?" Tancred asked, trying to push the conversation in a different direction, at the same time letting her know that he wasn't mad with her.

"Nothing." A small blush crept up her neck, as she shoved her drawing pad into her bag. She couldn't let him know that she had spent the whole time drawing _him_. That would ruin everything. And besides, what if he thought it was creepy? No. Those drawings were much better hidden at the bottom of her satchel and away from prying eyes.

"Aren't you going to hand it in?"

"It's not very good."

"Yeah, right," Tancred scoffed sarcastically. He had only ever seen one of Emma's drawings to be 'not very good,' and that was because one of his tempers had caused paint to splatter over it. It didn't worry him though, and he settled for her blushing silence as he handed in his own drawing.

"It's stopped raining," Emma commented suddenly, catching the window from the corner of her eye.

Tancred turned to look at her in dismay before speaking, "I know. I control it, remember?"

"Why was it raining?" Emma asked curiously, ignoring his comment with a flick of her hand.

"That wasn't me," Tancred replied. "I only stopped it."

She glanced sideways to him for a moment curiously, looking at his eyes. She could usually tell when he was lying, and it definitely wasn't like him to stop rain, quite the opposite really. Emma searched his face. She frowned, coming to the conclusion that he really wasn't lying.

"Why?" Emma asked curiously.

"You don't like the rain," he answered simply, shoving his pencil into his satchel.

Emma couldn't help but stare as she registered his reply. It was true. The rain irritated her at times, though usually only when she was in bird form. As a human it didn't really bother her much, if at all. With her hands placed neatly over her bag, she gazed at him thoughtfully. His blonde hair that stood upright - electrified - when he was angry flopped over his eyes, and the only sign of emotion Emma could see was the ever so slight upturning of his mouth.

"That's very sweet of you," she said finally, not sure of what exactly she was meant to say. Quietly, she added to herself, "Though you're sweet anyway."

"What?"

"Nothing," Emma smiled weakly, standing up from her chair and flinging her satchel over her shoulder as she made her way towards the door.

She waited patiently by the door, waiting for him to follow. He never questioned the way that she waited for him at every class - even when he was asked to stay behind. Then again, she wouldn't have told him anyway. She wasn't meant to like him like that, he didn't like her like that, and she had accepted that a long time ago.

"Where's Olivia?" Tancred asked, causing her heart to sink just a little bit. Emma had suspected that he might like her best friend. Who wouldn't? Liv was funny, out-going, great to hang with and so much more. Emma was just... Emma.

Forcing a grin onto her face, Emma cheerfully replied, "Oh, she's going over some lines today."

Tancred frowned. "She was meant to meet me straight after school.."

Sucking in sharply, Emma shrugged and quickened her pace. Making her way towards her room she called over her shoulder, "Maybe she'll meet you later. See you!"

After that, Emma flew into her room at record speed. As expected, Liv was sitting cross-legged on her bed flicking through her latest script. Her jaw was working furiously at a piece of chewing gum as her eyes scanned the papers eagerly.

"You didn't tell me you liked Tanc," Emma muttered, throwing her satchel on her bed and glowering at her so-called friend.

Olivia looked up, wide-eyed and laughing loudly. "I don't. Anyway, as I have told you for the past few _forevers_, he likes you."

"Well, he's stressing over that fact you forgot to meet him at the moment," Emma said, raising her eyebrows disbelievingly. "It's okay, really."

At this, Olivia stopped laughing and rolled her eyes, leaping to get feet grandly and taking a step towards Emma. "He likes you, trust me. He's only annoyed because I told him that today was his last chance, and that if he didn't do anything I'd set you up with Billy."

"Billy!" Emma exclaimed. "Billy?"

Olivia scoffed. "It was either him or Charlie."

"I don't want to be set up with anyone, Liv."

"Tough. You're going out with Tancred tonight," Olivia replied, mischief gleaming in her eyes as she took in her friend's shocked face. "And a word of advice... When he asks you... Say yes."

And she did.


End file.
